The rain of Shraban did not only fall from the sky on Friday evening. It flowed through music as well.
After intermittent showers throughout the day, the monsoon atmosphere blended perfectly with the setting inside the National Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, where legendary singer Runa Laila delivered a memorable solo concert before a packed audience.
For more than six decades, Runa Laila’s songs have touched generations of listeners.
On Friday night, she once again took audiences on a nostalgic journey through love, memories and emotion with a selection of her most celebrated songs.
The response reflected her enduring popularity.
The 700-seat auditorium was completely full, with audience members ranging in age from 27 to 77. According to the organisers, every ticket sold out on the first day of sales, leaving many admirers disappointed after failing to secure seats.
Runa Laila took the stage shortly after 7:30pm.
She began by paying tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the Bangla language and the country before opening the concert with the patriotic song Desher Jonno Jara.
She then performed one favourite after another, including Shilpi Ami, Jokhon Thambe Kolahol, Ganer-i Khatay, Je Jon Premer Bhab Jane Na, Amay Genthe Dao Na, Bondhu Tin Din, Onek Brishti Jhore, Sadher Lau and, for the first time on stage, the Nazrul song Bhulite Pari Na.
Responding to repeated requests from the audience, she concluded the nearly 90-minute concert at around 9:15pm with the iconic Dama Dam Mast Qalandar.
In total, she performed 11 songs.
Thunderous applause followed every performance, reaffirming that while times have changed, Runa Laila’s music continues to resonate across generations.
Beyond the music, the veteran artiste entertained the audience with personal stories and humorous memories from her long career.
Her warmth, wit and easy interaction with concertgoers added another dimension to the evening.
The concert, titled Shilpi Ami Tomaderi Gaan Shonabo, marked Runa Laila’s first full-length solo performance at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, despite having appeared on the venue’s stage several times before.
During the event, actor and presenter Afzal Hossain noted that it had taken 62 years of her professional career for the Academy to host her first solo concert. Smiling, the singer joked, “At last, they invited me.”
She also recalled her first stage performance at the age of six in Karachi, when she unexpectedly replaced her elder sister, Dinar, at a cultural programme after she fell ill.
Runa Laila began her professional music career in Pakistan at just 14 and has since recorded more than 10,000 songs in 18 languages, including Bangla, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Gujarati and Pashto.
The evening also featured a special honour for the legendary singer.
Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury presented the award in the presence of State Minister Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam, ministry secretary Kaniz Mowla and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Director General Sheikh Rezauddin Ahmed.
The organisers said all proceeds from ticket sales would be donated to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to support flood victims.
By the time the final notes of Dama Dam Mast Qalandar faded away, the evening had become more than a concert.
It stood as a heartfelt celebration of one of Bangla music’s greatest legends and a reminder that true artistry never loses its power.
